Starlight
by rhetoricfemme
Summary: Wherein Kyoya learns that not all commoner games are pointless, after all.
It was a fact of life that his best friend typically spent his spare time making idiot plans; often forcing upon them moronic notions and the fruits of his labors. On the other hand, this time Tamaki had outdone himself for the better.

"Flashlight tag, Kyoya!"

"Hm?" With mention of the word _tag_ , he felt no need to even look up from the book in front of him.

"Flashlight tag! A bit on the simple side, but therein lies its cleverness!"

"If you say so."

"I do, Kyoya! And you're going to love it. A private, host-only event to be held at Mori-Senpai's place."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

"Does Mori-Senpai know about this?"

"Ehm, no." A flash of that trademark, charismatic Tamaki smile. "I'll tell him at club, and I can't imagine him saying no! His family's estate has the best terrain for that sort of game."

Kyoya conceded with a sigh. "Alright, then." Flashlight tag wouldn't cost the club anything monetarily, to say the least. The very least.

And so the following evening it came to be, armed with nothing other than a Maglight and a vague sense of direction, Kyoya found himself alone, somewhere in the middle of a not-oft visited piece of property.

Admittedly, the game had proven quite entertaining. Competitive, even. However, that'd been long before he'd stumbled across a patch of woods.

"Fantastic…" At least five minutes transpired between the moment Kyoya first stepped foot into the trees, from the time he managed his exit. Left standing in what was essentially a field, he surveyed the land that now laid between him and the twinkling lights of the Morinozuka estate.

Annoyed as opposed to worried, Kyoya had no intention of stepping back into the forested area, lest he get turned around yet again. No, he would make do with taking the direct route, and head straight back through the long, billowing grass of the field.

"Let's see how long this takes." Fidgeting with the flashlight, Kyoya started walking while muttering to himself. "Looks about half a mile out. As long as there aren't any more surprises along the way, it should take me— _hungh!_ "

Perhaps he should have known better than to not keep an eye on the ground, but dammit, there were other things to think about, and at the time keeping his eyes forward seemed like the best plan of action.

"Ouch, Senpai." A matter-of-fact voice stated from the grass at Kyoya's feet.

"Kaoru?"

"Yep." Lying supine in what appeared to be a self-fashioned thicket, Kaoru extended an arm forward, poking Kyoya in the leg. "Tag. You're it."

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Looking the lone twin over, Kaoru's presence found Kyoya growing rather curious for the circumstances surrounding their whereabouts. "And did you make yourself a pillow out of grass?"

Kaoru made a confirming noise, bringing an arm to shield his eyes the flashlight Kyoya was still directing toward him the ground. "I'm a descendent of ikebana masters, Senpai. Don't sound so surprised."

"Fair enough."

"And I have a headache, so don't feel much like running around."

"I see." Lowering himself to the ground, Kyoya flicked off the flashlight and brought his knees to his chest. "Would it bother you if I were to stay?"

"You're fine." Kaoru assured whilst making room on the grass pillow. "How many can you find?"

There was no need to elaborate on the question, as the sheer brilliance of the evening sky could in no way be ignored. Lying back, Kyoya took a moment to situate his senses, then pointed to his left.

"Betelgeuse."

"I found that one, too."

Removing his glasses, Kyoya allowed his eyes time to readjust, and ventured as to how long it would take for the stars to meld in on themselves.

Watching him, Kaoru conducted his own test as he attempted to gently release the spectacles from Kyoya's hand. Surprisingly, he gave them willingly. Treating the glasses with a careful touch, Kaoru made certain to honor that token of trust. Positioning the frames over his own eyes, within seconds he pulled away, cringing.

"Shoot, Senpai!"

Laughing, the older boy took his glasses back, readjusting them on his face.

"Myopia is a bit disorientating at times. But I have no trouble seeing what's right in front of me."

"No kidding!" Rubbing his temples, Kaoru laughed. "Ugh, I think I just made my headache worse."

"Whenever I have a migraine, darkness and quiet help. I can leave, if you like." Preparing to hoist himself upward, a light grip on Kyoya's wrist kept him tethered to the ground.

"You can stay." The words came quickly, softer and shyer than the last. It was an aspect so seldom witnessed in such an exuberant, sharp-witted individual that it left Kyoya nothing less than charmed.

"Alright."

Silence settled over the two of them, the comfort of which was not lost on either boy. Kyoya enjoyed it so much, that part of him almost necessitated the break of such silence.

"Have you found Gemini, yet?"

"No. Gemini's not out tonight."

"Sure it is." He began. Sliding closer, he brought his head near in order to direct Kaoru's gaze accordingly. "Just go a bit further west, and—"

"Kyoya-Senpai?"

"What?"

"I think you're right that silence helps. Can—can we find another time for talking?"

Smiling gently, Kyoya offered a small nod. "Sure."

Taking his hand from the sky, Kyoya left his talk of constellations behind, although he did not bother to move away.

.

.

Thanks for reading! I wrote this a few years ago for a tumblr meme, and someone recently liked it, therein causing me to rediscover it and polish it up.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy it!


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